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Question: 1982 bmw r65ls: should i pay this much above kbb?

(Posted by: thatnewguy on 2009-10-07 17:50:00)

I'm looking at a 1982 BMW R65ls for sale in Central Illinois...I live in Appleton, WI http:/ / www.ibmwr.org/ market/ adlist.php?cat=abs (twelfth one down) I talked with the guy and he isn't willing to go below $2500 on it, granted it is in quite good condition. I checked the KBB value on this bike @ $1825 and that's for "good " condition; I'd say that's fair regarding this machine. He's gonna put it up on ebay at the end of the week, so I'm thinking now's my chance to get a pretty good deal before it goes up there. I don't think he's willing to come down any more on the price...should I pay this much above the blue book value or try it on ebay to see what happens? Note: I haven't brought up the KBB value to the seller yet...should I press him on this to try and get a better deal? I'm kind of new at this haggling stuff. Thanks! Alright everyone trying to sell me a super- fast bike :P I'm not getting this bike cause it's fast, I'm thinking of it because it's economical, fun, cool, and gives me a reason to laugh at all the fools on their crotchrockets who have no style. (yes, I do like the fairing) Thanks for the advice, though. I suppose I'll check out some bigger airhead R- bikes. But dang, I DO love that fairing...

Posted by: It's That Guy on 2009-10-07, 20:13:16

The LS is a 'special' bike. He's charging that much because he knows if you don't buy it some other BMW-lover will. It's not a super-fast bike, but a good all-around bike. The airhead, as others have pointed out, has a mystique, and they are still very desirable today. (I have one, I've had it since 1983! Still have the same bike. I ride it every few days.) The style is one of elegant simplicity. It wasn't a super-fast bike even in its day, just a 'gentleman's sport bike'. If it's in really good shape, it's worth $2500. If it was in your town, you might want to take it to a BMW mechanic and have him go over it, because if it needs anything it's going to hurt. 8^) But if its in good shape, well cared for, it's really a very economical bike because it hardly ever needs anything beyond oil filters, brake disks, etc. The KBB doesn't really apply to things like motorcycles and sportscars, because people WANT them. Someone looking specifically for a 650LS will pay a lot more than KBB for a good one. The bike is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. You can try offering him less, but I'd be surprised if he takes it.

Posted by: Dan H on 2009-10-07, 18:46:02

Airheads are a special breed. They are great bikes but they take a rider who is willing to maintain them. You will need to learn how to do a myriad of basic maintenance tasks yourself, unless you have deep pockets and can afford to pay a mechanic. That being said, the tasks are easy to learn and there is a very large number of airhead owners out there who are very willing to teach you how to do it as well as a larger online community of people dedicated to keeping these fine machines on the road. This isn't a UJM (e.g. Honda) that you put gas and oil in and expect them to run forever. But, if you keep up on the maintenance they will run forever. My '74 has 117,000 miles on it and I know of many, many more with over 200,000 miles on them, one finished the Iron Butt Rally this year with over 500,000 miles on it. Parts are still available from BMW and from the aftermarket. Is it worth 2500? Maybe. If it is in great running condition and no-one has done something stupid to it, then yes, it's worth $2500.00. You don't see many of this model around, but then, the most popular airhead models were the GS, the 'S' models and the RS and RT models.

Posted by: Will on 2009-10-07, 18:53:31

Do a quick check of used bike listings to see if there is anything comparable whether R65 or not. There may not be many R65 models around especially in good condition, so if you are set on this model you may have to wait awhile to find another. You could leave him with your best offer and ask him to call you if he doesn't sell it on ebay. If he sets a $2500 reserve he might not sell it, or he might use your bid as the reserve and most likely sell it to someone else. If you are stuck on a single bike you will always tend to overpay, because its hard to set a limit on yourself. My suggestion, look at what you are really willing to pay to get this bike, and then look at other bike models in that price range and see what you could get with the same money. As an example, you may be able to find the next larger BMW (R80?) for what you are willing to offer on the R65. That will give you a good idea of what you are giving up by paying more than KBB.

Posted by: Buster Brown on 2009-10-07, 19:20:20

They didn't make many of the LS model, but that's probably because they didn't sell many. The LS has a little cafe fairing that you may or may not like. Everybody in the world thinks his LS is worth $2500, but the only guys who ever pay that much are the newbs. $1825 is more than I would pay. The R65 is a decent little runabout, but it is dog slow. Wait, let me put that in a more positive light. It is faster than a Jawa Californian. If I wanted a BMW that slow, I would hold out for an R60/ 5, and at least get some style.

Posted by: will work for food on 2009-10-07, 19:28:50

I wouldn't pay a dime more than what KBB has it listed at. Probably wouldn't pay that much for it. I rode one of these things a couple of years ago and wasn't even slightly impressed with it. Power is almost non existent. I think they look pretty cool though.